Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari informed a court in Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, that his health had deteriorated after purportedly being served food laced with poison while in prison. Ansari cited his ailing health as the reason for his absence in the district MP/MLA court regarding a case involving alleged fraud in the registration of an ambulance used to transport him from jail to a court in Punjab several years ago.
In an application filed through his attorney Randhir Singh Suman, he stated, “…on the night of March 19, my food was laced with a poisonous substance, resulting in the deterioration of my health…. I feel as though I’m going to choke.” Suman emphasized that Ansari’s health was “completely fine” before the incident and thus requested the court to assemble a team of doctors for his proper treatment. Ansari claimed that he had also been served food laced with poison 40 days prior.
Suman further stated that, Ansari did not appear in the virtual hearing from Banda jail. Instead, Deputy Jailor Mahendra Singh appeared before the court, confirming Ansari’s illness.
The court has scheduled March 29 as the next hearing date in the matter. The case against Ansari and his 12 associates was registered in March 2022.
